Faithless
by Silver Lazurite
Summary: We trusted each other once, but then it all fell apart. Words ringing empty in the air, insubstantial like our entwined black and golden locks. Yet, when our old vows caught up with us, we've got nothing left to say to Zane except faithless.
1. Return

My second story has arrived!

The background of this fic needs to be explained. I am ignoring the storyline in GX seasons 3 and 4 (that means no Johan/Jesse, no Yubel, no Fujiwara, and subsequently no mature Judai). I'm assuming that Zane has returned to his old self and discarded his Hell Kaiser personality at the end of season 2, and returned to a promising career in the Pro League, together with a promising romance with Alexis. It couldn't be any better for our Kaiser…

Which is exactly when a disaster is about to strike.

I like to throw my characters into serious trouble in the height of their happiness, don't I? Anyways, I should stop talking; otherwise the story will be spoiled.

Sit back and enjoy!

**Faithless**

_He hugged her. He hugged her so tightly she found it quite impossible to breathe, but she was fine with it. After all, he just had a major transformation, and it's okay if he's a bit over-expressive with his feelings._

_His Duel Disk dug into her arm as he used his left hand to lift up her chin and stare into her hazel eyes. She stared back into his blue ones, dark and mysterious as they stood in the backstage of the Kaiba Dome in Domino. None of them spoke; words were not needed._

_Lowering his head timidly, he kissed her. Warmth flew through her soul, and her heart wept with the joy of regaining something she thought she had forever lost. She freed her arms from between their torsos and hugged his neck, her hands stroking his hair. She felt his solid heartbeat, his shallow breath, so close to her skin it's almost as if the two of them have merged together into one being, with no beginning and no end._

_A bell sounded in the distance._

_Softly, he started to push her away. She understood. He's got to go now, to win this duel. He promised her and his friends that he's going to rebuild his career, and so far he's doing great. She has no doubt about that. _

_He also made another promise, a promise that he would be here for her for all eternity. He would never leave her alone, in doubt and darkness, with no one by her side. In that instant he was the very impersonation of happiness. She could ask for no more. It was her dream coming true._

_And now he's going to fulfil his own dreams._

_He began to walk towards the stage, but halfway there he turned back, looking at her with his deep, soulful eyes, as if he was unsure, hesitant about whether or not to leave her._

_Don't worry, she mouthed. Just win the duel and come back._

_He smiled at her, and walked away._

_Away and away until she could no longer see him, until all his memories have faded from her mind, until she could no longer hear his voice, no longer recall his touch, no longer remember his face._

_All that was left for her was his promise._

_An empty, dead promise._

She gasped and opened her eyes. Tears were streaming down her face and falling onto the expansive silk pillowcase, making them wet and soggy. She swallowed hard and found her throat to be as dry as firewood. Stumbling up, she walked out of her bedroom and into the kitchen, searching for a drink.

A calendar was on the fridge. She squinted at it; of course, it's the anniversary of his disappearance. No wonder she dreamt of him. It's been so long and her life has changed so much, and now only on this fateful day can she even remember his existence.

Her thirst quenched, she walked back to her room, feeling her way with her fingertips. Gingerly she sat back down on the bed, afraid to wake the sleeper beside her. But he was already awake.

"Lexi? Are you okay?" He whispered in the darkness beside her head.

"I'm fine," she sighed.

"I know," the man beside her commented. "It's ten years. I'm having a hard time with it too."

"Has it really been so long?" She wondered absentmindedly.

"Time flies." He turned to face her. "It's alright, Lex. It's okay. I'm here with you."

"I know." She smiled.

"Go back to sleep. They'll probably call us very early tomorrow. Don't get too worked up with it." He patted her shoulders. Soon enough she was asleep again.

He did not. He stared up at the ceiling, his dark eyes unblinking as the night drifted on.

--

The Kaiba Dome, the height of glory for every duelist, the ultimate stage for the elite of the game. The arena was flooded with bright light and on the stands the crowds were gathering, like a restless wave on a dark and deep sea. No one raised their voice. Today's duel was special, almost sacred. It's held in the memory of a great duelist whom they lost, and never recovered.

She was not with the others as they made their preparations backstage. She sat up the top in the staff room overlooking the entire arena beneath her, her brown eyes unfocused. Every year, for ten years, they would return to Domino from wherever they are, and they would duel, in the name of a man they believed to be dead. It has become a ritual, a rope linking them together from their past. She never participated in all this time, though. They understood that, the audience too.

The duelists were walking in below her. She didn't bother to check who they were, it would become apparent in due time. Soon enough, she glimpsed E-Hero Tempest, and a few turns later Armed Dragon Level 7 made its appearance. She lowered her head. There's no point to watch anymore. The crowd was roaring. She turned her back to the window.

Jaden and Chazz took their time, which only made her more fidgety. Cursing the stuffiness of the room – or was it her heart? – she pulled open the door and descended the stairs. A few moments of absence won't matter.

She needed fresh air.

There was a vending machine beside the steps right outside the arena. She stopped there and fished for a coin inside her pockets, and jumped in alarm when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She stared defiantly at the intruder.

And was greeted by a pair of hollow, teal eyes.

"Alexis." He murmured in his deep, almost inaudible voice. "It's nice to see you again."

Her jaw dropped. I'm seeing a ghost! Her mind screamed. But no, he's right here in front of her after all these years, in flesh and blood. She thought she's dreaming. She pinched herself in the arm, hard.

He didn't disappear.

He reached out for her. Dazed, she didn't respond. The flood of time swept over her, bringing memories and happiness and guilt. She felt his strong arms – much stronger than she'd remembered – wrap around her and giving her a sense of security. She closed her eyes. How can this be happening? How can he just return like this, after everything that had happened?

How can she ever face him again after what she's done?

--

"Aster speaking." A sharp, ringing voice answered on the other side of the line.

"Hey, it's Alexis here." She said into the phone. "Is the duel finished yet? I'm not in the arena."

"No, but soon. Do you know that Chazz's actually winning? I think we're about to see a miracle."

"That's great news. But after you've seen the miracle, can you please tell everyone to cut the ceremonies short and head straight to my place?"

There was a pause. "Is there anything wrong?" Aster asked softly.

Alexis leaned against the wall. "It's a long story. Please, just come as soon as possible."

"You sound distressed, are you sure you're okay?"

"I will be okay when I see you lots at my house."

"Sure sure, I'll tell them."

"Thanks." Alexis hang up and took a deep breath. He was still standing beside her car and staring out into the horizon with an empty and detached expression, his back towards her.

"We need to go now," she said, in a voice that she didn't recognize to be her own. He turned around, his eyes flat and lightless. Silently she got into her car and started the engine, a moment later he got in too.

"I still can't believe that I did find you," he muttered.

"I can't believe it, either," she responded nonchalantly, turning the steering wheel.

She felt his eyes on her and she looked back. His face was different from moments before. He no longer wore that blank expression; instead, he was looking at her with something akin to poisonous jealousy. Instinctively she shrank away from him, alarmed at this sudden change in his mood.

"Yes, imagine my surprise when I heard that a duel is being held in my memory," his lips parted in a cynical smile. She shivered at his sardonic expression.

"We thought you were dead." Grasping the steering wheel tighter, she kept her eyes on the road as she commented.

He sighed beside her. "I don't blame you. It's been so long, too long." She heard clothes shuffling beside her as he moved, and she forced herself to concentrate and keep driving.

"But I'm back, Lexi. I'm finally back." His husky whisper was so close to her ear she jumped, her heart skipping a beat. "I'm sorry. The entire thing was out of my hands; you couldn't imagine, couldn't imagine what I've been through…" His voice dipped low.

You couldn't imagine what I've been through, either, she thought soundlessly.

"Lexi," he made a move to grab her hands, but decided against it when he looked into her face. "I didn't forget you. I'm back. I know it's probably too late, but you… you don't know how important you're to me. Please, Alexis, I've come back… to fulfil my promise."

They reached a red light. She slammed on the brakes and was glad for the stop. She turned to him; he was looking at her expectantly with glittering eyes.

"I'm married already."

The light in his eyes froze and he stared at her, his irises once again blank and empty. She never saw such despair and hatred on his face in all the time she's known him. He's changed; he's changed into a shadow of his former self.

"What did you say?" His voice was harsh, brittle. But she had to tell him.

"I'm married, Zane. I'm married to Chazz."

--

I know that I haven't finished Nightingale's Blood, and I know I'm already updating pretty slowly, but this idea's been bugging me for a long time and I've just got to get it out. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that I haven't got a very clear idea myself as to what actually did happen to Zane in his long absence, so this story will be updated irregularly. Please bear it with me. I'll do my best to fix my current plot holes.

I've also decided that the role of Alexis's husband in this story needs a complex personality, so Chazz it is. And expect some OOC along the way because, after all, it's been ten years for those duelists. I'm putting all the characters as 17 years old when Zane (19) disappeared, making them 27 at the time of this story (Zane, of course, is 29). The exception is Aster. Aster is 3 years younger than Zane, making him 26.


	2. Revelation

Chapter Two

A shout emanated from within the car as Chazz Princeton pulled into a sharp stop in front of his garage. Tyranno yelled something incomprehensible, and Jaden, sitting beside Chazz, yelled back as loud as he can, "WHAT?"

Chazz made a gesture to cover his ears. Jaden didn't notice and went on talking. Exasperated, the raven-haired man honked the car horn, hard.

That calmed his friends down.

Chazz gave Jaden a disapproving look before climbing out of the car. Slightly abashed, the passengers crawled cheekily out after him. The three of them waited while another car arrived soon after.

"Any idea what this is about, Aster?" Chazz asked a silver-haired youth as soon as the latter stepped out of his vehicle.

Aster shook his head. "No clue. She did sound pretty upset though."

Chazz gritted his teeth.

"No worries, man." Jaden laid a reassuring hand on the other man's shoulder. "It's the anniversary of Zane's disappearance. She's bond to be upset."

"But this has never happened before," Aster mused. "It's one of those days in which I regret beating Zane all those years ago. Seriously, I don't think I would've done it if I knew what will happen to him afterwards."

"What's done is done," Chazz grated. "There's nothing you can do about it now. Might as well deal with it."

Jaden and Aster exchanged a worried glance, but Chazz already pulled himself together. "Come on, we might as well see what's wrong, since she was so eager to get you all to come here." The raven-haired man sighed softly and started towards his own house, his friends trailing behind him.

With a steady hand, Chazz unlocked the door, and saw Alexis sitting on the sofa facing the entrance. At first glance, Chazz saw the familiar warm hazel of her eyes staring at him, but she frowned ever so slightly and he saw something else there too, a fear deeper down in her irises, real and genuine fear.

"Chazz," she opened her mouth to speak, then stopped abruptly and licked her dry lips. He took a step forward subconsciously, and then, at the edge of his vision, the navy head reclining on the sofa shifted and turned.

For a second, Chazz thought he was dreaming… No, it was more like a nightmare, a vision that haunted him at the godless hours when he lay awake, staring into the darkness. Looking into those blue orbs that were locked with his own black ones he knew what this man's return meant to him. He could see, literally, his precarious life falling down in shreds. The keystone that he built his safety on was gone.

"Zane," Chazz rasped hoarsely. It was a blank statement.

Behind him he heard gasps of shock. A flash of white swept past him. Aster stepped forward.

"Zane…" the silver-haired young man's voice quavered. "Is it really you?"

Alexis's visitor stood up then. His tall and imposing figure undiminished, the former duelist had also acquired a muscular frame that filled up the thin shirt he was wearing. His navy hair was cut short, close to the scalp, and there was a steel glint in his blue eyes that was never there before. Chazz couldn't help but stare at this new, dangerous, and at the same time familiar Zane. Aster was going to add something when Zane replied in his deep voice.

The elder Truesdale cast a glance around the room and grinned. "Well, well, the whole gang's here," he said, as if amused. Chazz saw Alexis flinch and he frowned. These words were not what Zane would say; Chazz would sooner imagine himself uttering them than the blue-eyed man.

Jaden surged forward then. Nothing much about him changed. He still wore his brown hair long and although time has dented his soul somewhat, his spirit was still strong. "Zane, I'm so glad you're back! What happened to you? We were so worried. You never even contacted us – "

Zane's sight passed straight over Jaden. It was as if he didn't hear a word the younger duelist said. Confused, Jaden stopped talking and regarded Zane carefully. The tall man was looking at Chazz with the uttermost scrutiny.

"You deceitful, vengeful bastard." That came out of Zane's mouth in a low hiss.

Everyone stared at blue-haired man, especially Chazz and Alexis. The woman made to rise. "Zane, what are you talking about? Chazz – "

"Don't defend him, Lexi!" Zane's voice boomed. With three long strides he crossed the parlour floor. Chazz shrank back instinctively.

"Did you really think that I would never come back, Princeton?" Zane stopped in front of Chazz. His voice was rough and spoke of danger. "Did you really think that your crimes would never come to light? Did you really think," he took a deep breath, "that you could usurp everything that I had and live with it for the rest of your life?"

Chazz no longer moved back. He stood his ground, staring back at Zane with indignant anger. "I don't know what you're talking about," he firmly stated. "I never did anything against you. I didn't usurp anything of yours in my entire life." He bit his lower lip. "If you're bitter about Alexis, I understand that, but we all thought you were dead."

"You might well think that I was dead," Zane replied. "After all, you took everything from me." Turning to one side, he pulled back his earlobe, revealing the piece of skin behind his ears.

"You would surely know about this, Princeton," he murmured.

Chazz looked at Zane's flesh in horror. Where skin was supposed to be there was a dark and gaping hole. No blood oozed from it, but Chazz could imagine the pain it must have inflicted. He pondered wildly if it went all the way through Zane's skull.

From behind Zane he heard the sound of footsteps. "You're mad, Zane," Alexis's voice, taunt and shivering with fear, came to him. "I don't know what happened to you but you're mad to just heap all these accusations on Chazz. We really didn't know – "

"Yes, you're allowed to be all happy and ignorant," Zane rebuked. "After all, you had your friends, you had Atticus – "

"No I did not!" Alexis fairly shouted. "Atticus is dead!"

Zane slowly turn around. "What did you say?"

"Atticus is dead, Zane," Jaden continued when Alexis covered her face with her hands and sank back down into the sofa. "That was eight years ago. Him and Sy. In a car crush."

"My brother… as well?" Zane questioned emotionlessly.

"Yes, Syrus too," Jaden swallowed. "I… I'm sorry to tell you this, but they're gone." Seeing Zane's face fell, Jaden made a gesture towards the lounge. "I believe we should all sit down and get our stories straight, Zane," the brunet said with solemn maturity. "We're not going to solve anything by standing here yelling at each other. These ten years has been tough to all of us. We might as well hold on to each other and try to get through this as a whole."

Almost imperceptibly, Zane nodded. His shoulders slumped just a bit. Jaden had the distant impression that he was facing a splintered flag pole, once tall and majestic, now desolate and bearing a flag of a kingdom long forgotten and fallen.

Silently, the people flied into to sit on the sofas in the lounge. As Chazz moved past, he sought Jaden's hand and squeezed it. Jaden smiled to himself. In Chazz Princeton's strange language of gratitude, that gesture spoke volumes. He watched as everyone walked past him before stepping forwards. It was still a bit too much for him, the brunet thought, with Zane coming back on the anniversary of his disappearance and this mess they are getting into. He could still hear his own voice, telling Zane that Syrus and Atticus are dead…

Yes, Jaden reminded himself, Syrus and Atticus are dead.

He shook his head, and sat down beside Tyranno. The former Ra Yellow student kept silent through the entire encounter; now he looked at Jaden and gave him a rueful smile. Jaden grinned back also, a grin that had more sorrow than mirth.

"Z… Zane," hesitantly, Alexis broke the restrictive silence, "where were you?"

Zane looked at Alexis with his blank blue eyes before turning away and starting to speak. "I lost that duel," he began.

"I remember," Alexis replied.

"I don't suppose you knew what it meant for me, though?" came Zane's bitter response.

Alexis swallowed, unsure of what to say.

"It was the one match I could not lose, yet I lost it," Zane laughed, a hollow and rasping laughter. "Did you not guess that I got out of the underground duelling ring with a condition applied? That's how I got out with no ransom; I was my own ransom."

"I promised to give them the profits of my first ten duels, and I promised that I would win these duels, every single one of them… but I did not."

"So – " Alexis started, but she could not finish.

"So they took me back after that; as soon as I stepped off the arena they were there. They took me back to the darkness, to the clandestine arenas, to the electric shocks and the jeers of masked audiences hungry for my screams, my blood, my pain. And because I broke my contract, they kept me there, like a prisoner. And there I stayed."

With an abrupt movement Zane rolled back the sleeves of his shirt. Alexis gasped, and even Chazz grimaced in imagined pain. The man's arms were covered with a web of white scars, layers and layers of scars. Soundlessly Zane pulled the fabric down again to cover them.

"I thought I'd be there forever, but I was wrong." The blue eyed man continued. "I was taken out."

"Really?" Jaden jumped in. "Is that why you're here and – "

"No, far from it," Zane fixed his glare on Chazz again. "Thanks to you."

"Your brothers came into the arena one day, Chazz. Yes, your elder brothers. I didn't recognize them with their masks on, but after my match I heard them talking. I remembered their voices from when they tried to buy over Duel Academy."

"They wanted me; that much was clear. I had moments of wild hopes. I thought that they were there to get me out. I thought you've persuaded them. Little did I know what they really had in mind."

"They got me out, all right. They took me back to their labs, and they treated me politely, but they never allowed me to get out of the place nor to contact anybody. I grew impatient, but I presumed that they were working things out. Then one day they called me to their office. We exchanged amenities, and they gave their word to let me go. I was glad, happier than I ever thought possible. They even offered me refreshments during our talk."

"But that was the end of everything. I had no idea how I passed out, but when I woke up I was lying in a dark and dismal room, my hair cut as you see it now, and with these two terrible holes in my head. In case you've been wondering, yes, they do go all the way into my cranium."

"For that's what the Princetons wanted me for. They wanted my brains, my duelling genius. They stole what defined me as Zane Truesdale: my consciousness. Each day they would drug me and chain me up to countless machines. So, with my brain waves as the model, they developed their current bestselling duel simulation software, the DuelKing." Zane looked at Chazz. "I'm sure you would know that, wouldn't you?"

Chazz could hear his own heart beating in his chest. Of course he knew of his brothers' software; everyone in the game industry knew it. Based on a high-level artificial intelligence system, its simulations rivals that which was produced by Kaiba Corp., and there are many who claimed it to be even better than Seto Kaiba's programmes. So thorough were the AI's strategies, the critics praised, that even the king of games himself, Yugi Moto, would find a worthy opponent in it.

Indeed, Zane Truesdale would make a worthy opponent to Yugi.

The youngest Princeton felt sick. He felt like tearing himself open; Zane's words echoed in his brain, hammering his skull into pieces. Just to imagine what Slade and Jagger did to the other man…

"So, folks, what's your 'story' then?" Zane asked, mockingly.

The door bell rang.

Glad to be relieved from the lounge's oppressive atmosphere, Chazz stood up and almost ran to open the door. A lean and angular face greeted him as he swung the door open.

"Hey Chazz," Bastion began, "sorry I'm late. The – " he stopped as he saw the scene from above Chazz's shoulders.

Chazz said nothing. He stepped aside to reveal his guest to the astounded Bastion.

"Here comes one who will tell you more, Zane," Jaden murmured as Bastion moved towards them.

The Ra Yellow genius walked with a pronounced limp. He was wearing a pair of wire-rimmed glasses over his chocolate eyes and his brown hair, despite his young age, already started to go grey. His eyes were wide open and he grasped the back of the sofas for support. Chazz saw Bastion's knuckle go deathly white.

"You… you… Zane?" Bastion stammered, but his mouth immediately pursed into a tight line and he scowled, almost accusingly.

"That can wait," Zane replied emotionlessly, "for now, tell me," his voice cracked; he coughed, "tell me whatever they say you can enlighten me on."

Bastion sat heavily down on the sofa after a glance around the silent crowd. "Is this about Atticus and Syrus?"

Jaden nodded.

Bastion gave a small, bitter laugh. "What do you want to know, Zane?" He gave the taller man a sidelong look, a look full of spite. "It was around the anniversary of your disappearance. Syrus didn't want to stay in Domino because he said he couldn't stand the memory duel, and we agreed to take him out to the countryside. It was just like any beautiful day: Chazz rented a holiday house for us in the mountains, Jaden and Alexis were already there, and Atticus was driving to get Syrus and I. We were climbing a hill; he turned the corner and the truck was right there. I screamed for Atticus to stop, but it was too late. When I woke up, my leg was as you see it now." Bastion grinned hollowly. "And what can you do about it? It was eight years ago… we all tried to forget –"

"Did you say eight years?"

Everyone picked up the odd note in Zane's tone. The blue eyed young man was once again staring daggers at Chazz.

"Now I know why you never knew," Zane breathed. "Atticus, he never… he never had the chance to tell you. He was the only one who knew about me." He glanced at Chazz. "Eight years ago… that was when your brothers took me in. A pretty impressive coincidence, with you _renting the holiday house_, don't you think so, Princeton?"

Chazz opened his mouth to rebuke, but he caught the look on Jaden's face just then. The brown-haired youth was also staring at him, not with the vengeful anger of Zane, but with a hollowness that tore Chazz's heart apart. There was no trace of any hatred, yet Chazz saw no possibilities of forgiveness. The raven-haired man sank back down into his sofa. Did he not secretly rejoice when Zane disappeared? He knew he did, and he knew that his friends knew of it too. And when Atticus died… Alexis was so distraught, and it could not be more obvious to everyone that Chazz took this chance to get close to her. In fact, Tyranno used to joke, especially after a few drinks, that Chazz and Alexis's happiness was based on the Atticus and Zane's tragedy. However, whenever the duelist said that everyone would laugh and dismiss the thought to the back of their minds…

Not anymore.

He heard Alexis say something, but his brain did not register it. The conversation flowed on around him, within his house, around his possessions. But something in Chazz Princeton knew that everything he's built up, everything he's been living in the past ten years, are falling apart.

--

"Were you truly ignorant about this?"

"Alexis! Please… you know I would never, never do such things! I would never kill anyone – "

"Not even for me?"

Silence.

"I knew that you loved me, Chazz. But you also knew that I loved Zane –"

"I accepted that. You know I did."

"But then Zane disappeared, and then Atticus and Sy died…"

"And you were so alone." He put his hand on her arm. "I couldn't… I couldn't bear seeing you like that. Lex, I've always cared about you."

She turned away.

"Don't you trust me anymore?" He almost shouted in exasperation. "How long have you known me? If you didn't care, why did you marry me in the first place anyways?"

"I truly believed that I would love you, and I guess I did, during these years. You are a good man, Chazz. There's nothing I can say about that. And yes, I've known you for almost a dozen years now," her brown eyes were clouded. "But I'm afraid of you at the same time. You hide yourself so deep that I'm afraid to reach towards you," she shook her head. "You've been through so much," she took a deep breath. "I could never imagine how you lived with your brothers in your family, how you felt when you were defeated, banished, discarded. And I know I do not have the strength and resolve that you had; I know I wouldn't be able to climb back up from my falls as you did, again and again."

A long pause. "You're so strong, so determined, so adamant in pursuing your dreams. I don't know what you're capable of. When Zane called you those names, I was enraged, but then I thought about it…"

"Lex! Don't! Please, trust me!"

Footsteps. A passionate whisper.

"You're right. I know you would never love me completely. I know Zane would always be alive in your heart. But that didn't stop me. I'm tired of fighting, Alexis. I can't always climb out of one fall after the other. I need you. You know… you know how weak I truly am, deep down. I couldn't afford to lose you, Lex. I've lost… no less that what Zane's lost. Please believe me."

"Chazz…"

"Shh… Alexis Rhodes, I am yours. Always has, always will be."

--

There, there, the second chapter of Faithless.

This story is not so much about pairings (although Chazz/Alexis and Zane/Alexis is present through the whole story) than it is about the various relationships the characters had with each others. I really want to use this fanfic to explore the idea of betrayal, whether intentionally or not, and its consequences in a person's life. That's why I called the whole thing Faithless. The idea of trust and promises is the base of this story, and it's all about people's decisions in whether or not to stick to their promises. Apart from that, I've also thrown in a few romance/horror/sci-fi aspects here and there (eg. the idea of the Princetons _stealing_ Zane's brain).

In the next chapter, Chazz confronts his brothers in a rage.

See you then.


	3. First scars

Chapter Three

"And lastly, prominent politicians are once again in disagreement over the amount of funding to be allocated to the Ministry of Education for the nationwide improvement of educational facilities…"

Chazz frowned as the reporter suavely read out the last point in her morning news script. He reached toward the radio in his parked car and turned it off, obliterating the woman's superficially carefree voice. He also turned off the ignition along with the radio, leaving the inside of his car blissfully silent.

So far, it seems the media hasn't got wind about Zane's re-emergence. The only thing they were reporting remained as Zane's tragic disappearance ten years ago. This rather unusual neglect of duelling news felt rather odd for Chazz. In Domino, a city with a cult-like adoration for the game of Duel Monsters and is arguably the place-to-be for any duelist, you'd expect a lot of people to know of Zane's story and what he looks like. For him to just casually canter up to Alexis in broad daylight on the anniversary day of his own disappearance would be a little bit bordering impossible.

The elder man did not say much in his surprise visit yesterday. Zane kept a tight mouth about how he escaped and how he got to Domino, dedicating much of his time listening to others filling him in on events that occurred in his absence. He left with Jaden and Aster, who said they'd take care of him. Chazz ran a hand through his hair in irritation. He promised himself to contact Jaden later that day to see if Zane had any more information on his own adventures.

"Excuse me, Mr. Princeton, are you alright?"

The security guard of the underground carpark belonging to Kaiba Corp knocked on the passenger seat window in concern. Chazz rolled down the window and gave a small grin in reply.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about something."

"That's good to know, Mr. Princeton." The guard replied. After a small hesitation, he spoke again. "Pardon me for asking, but would you be thinking about the agreement Mr. Kaiba will sign with those software companies tomorrow morning?"

"Um. No." Chazz frowned. "Why would you think that?"

"Because… you know how it is for me, Mr. Princeton. I stand here all day and sometimes hear people talk about their work. It seems that the Princetons are also looking to sign an agreement with the same companies for roughly the same products, right?"

Chazz nodded slowly.

"Well, from what I heard, it looks like your brothers are very keen to push Kaiba Corp out of this deal, Mr. Princeton. So I'm just wondering…"

"What are you trying to say?" Chazz was starting to dislike what he's hearing.

"Your brothers have arrived at Kaiba Corp today, Mr. Princeton." The guard gestured to far end of the carpark. "They left their cars there and went straight up the building. You drove in moments after they went in. When I saw you brooding in here, I thought that maybe – "

"What?!"

Chazz grabbed his case, pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened the driver side door before the guard realised what was happening. He set the car alarm without turning his head and practically sprinted across the carpark towards the stairs. He took three steps at once on ascending the stairs, while thanking his stars that his office is only at the third floor.

His brothers are here… He hasn't seen them for years, not since he graduated from Duel Academy. They never bothered to keep in contact, and he didn't missed them. But when they do show, it will probably mean trouble. Chazz knew that they are not here to negotiate that business deal; Seto Kaiba is too tough for Slade and Jagger to break through. A sickening feeling began to emerge in Chazz's stomach as his head gradually accepted a reality that he'd prayed would never happen.

Slade and Jagger Princeton are here about Zane.

If everything Zane's accused them of holds true, the Princetons would easily lose everything. But right now, they could still use their money and power to influence things and bargain around. Chazz's heart was pounding in his throat when he finished climbing all the stairs and tumbled into the third floor corridor. He looked hastily about him for any sign of disturbances before heading down towards his own office.

"Oh, Mr. Princeton!" His secretary stood up hastily when she saw him practically running through the door. "You've got – "

"Visitors?" Chazz added, panting.

Her words taken right out of her mouth, all the secretary could do was nod.

Pausing for a slight moment to compose himself before meeting his brothers, Chazz pushed open his office door.

The two men turned around. Slade and Jagger didn't look too different from when he last saw them about eight years ago except, perhaps, the first trace of wrinkles that had began to emerge on Slade's forehead.

Chazz slammed the door shut behind him.

"Are you so displeased to see us, little brother?" Jagger said in his accustomed sarcastic tone. "Tut tut. Twenty-six years old and still has no manners."

"Better than being thirty-six years old and still has no morals." Chazz wasn't going to cut the other two Princetons any slack.

Jagger's face darkened immediately and Slade chuckled. "So heated up, Chazz, aren't we?"

"What are you two here for?"

"What, we can't pay a visit to our long sundered little brother?" Slade casually picked up the frame containing Alexis's photo that Chazz kept on his office desk. "We can't care about his life after such a separation?"

"Don't you touch that!" Chazz took a step forward. Slade gave him a sharp look but didn't let go of the photo frame. "You aren't here just for a visit, Slade, Jagger. You never visit anyone without motives, not even your family."

"You sure know a lot about us, little bro, despite that fact that you left our family business and decided to work for Seto Kaiba as soon as you graduated." Slade answered coldly. He turned to face Chazz. "I heard that you and your Academy friends have already met that renegade, Zane Truesdale?"

"Did you really do what he said you did to him?" Chazz's voice dropped a notch upon speaking of this topic. The very thought that those two men in front of him experimented with Zane like a lab rat sickened him.

"We are completely ignorant to what Truesdale may accuse us of," Jagger shrugged. "But even if he did tell the truth… brother, would be able to prove them?"

Chazz breathed out heavily but didn't reply.

"Before you start yelling at us about what we may have done to develop the gaming industry's most brilliant creation to date, let me tell you about Truesdale." Jagger leaned towards Chazz until his face was almost touching the younger man's. "He's not the composed and talent duelist you knew him as anymore, Chazz. He's currently a criminal on the run."

"What?"

"You heard me," Jagger pulled away. "He's a murderer, in fact. I'm sure that you paid close attention to the media this morning? We made sure that no wind of his re-emergence got out. It would make his capture too difficult if people discovered him."

"A… murderer?! Who did he kill?"

"That's of a slightly smaller important. For your own good, however, don't shield a wanted killer, brother. It might… cause you harm." Slade said evenly and nonchalantly. "We wouldn't want to see you, or your family, get hurt." He let go of the photo frame in his hand. It landed heavily, face-down on the table with a deep bang.

"You… you…" Chazz was stuttering with shock and anger.

"Oh please, Chazz, you really should know us better than that," Jagger sniggered at his youngest brother's enraged expression. "Despite what you think, protecting you is still a top priority for us."

"Oh yeah?" Chazz took a step forward. "All those years of neglect and you still dare to say that you care about me?"

"Didn't you once consider how come your wife is still getting such generous sponsorships although she doesn't duel as often as before?" Slade chuckled.

"Are you saying you have a hand in it?!"

"We have hands in a lot of places, Chazz." Jagger smiled complacently.

"Since you know so much, then I've got a question," Chazz gritted his teeth. He really didn't want to ask this, but a part of him insisted. "Did you have something to do with Syrus and Atticus's deaths?"

Slade frowned. "I wouldn't think so. We had no disagreements with them, do we, Jagger?" He turned to his brother.

"No, I don't think so either." Jagger scratched his head. The two of them looked almost comical.

"That's practically a yes, isn't it?" Chazz muttered darkly.

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions if I were you," Slade gave him a warning look. "As for Zane Truesdale, I'd advise you to stop sheltering him, and don't you glare at me like that. I know you're keeping him somewhere. If you can't get over the fact that you were once fellow students, then at least leave him alone. That way, it'd be less trouble for you if the cops find him."

"Just what happened with Zane?"

Jagger shook his head and sighed dramatically. "That's for him to know and for us to find out."

"Us? What do you mean –"

"Well well, little brother. Looks like we've gotta go now." Slade checked his watch. "Our company has business to run too. That's all for today. Guess we'll have to talk again later."

"Wait! You –"

Before he could finish his sentence, Jagger and Slade had already opened the door and left. It took Chazz a while to order his body to move and follow them. He yanked open the door.

"Mr. Princeton, are you alright?" His secretary was startled.

Chazz scanned the corridor and the larger rooms around them. The two older men have already left the vicinity of his office, and a lot of employees were looking him curiously. He sighed, and shook his head. "Yes, I'm alright, Val. Go back to work."

-------------------

"Wait a second, Jagger."

"What are you doing?"

Slade Princeton signalled for his brother to be quiet. Leaving the slightly confused Jagger to stand beside the elevators, he headed down into a large office that he knew only too well.

The workers were a little surprised to see him. "Mr. Princeton?"

"Is Mr. Misawa here? I need to speak to him immediately."

Stunned, a staff rushed to knock on Kaiba Corp's Head of Technical Development's door. An even and calm voiced sounded from within. "Come in."

Slade strode up quickly and pushed the poor employee aside. With his other hand he opened the door and closed it as soon as he was in.

The bespectacled occupier of the room jolted when he saw the older Princeton.

"You – what are you doing here, Slade Princeton?"

"There's no need to be so alarmed, Mr. Misawa. I'm just dropping in to remind you a bit about what we've agreed among ourselves."

Bastion Misawa's square jaw clutched tighter.

"Now that Truesdale is back, I'm hoping that you didn't forget our deal," Slade walked up to Bastion's desk, thoroughly enjoying the fear that surfaced into the younger man's eyes as he approached. It was even more enjoyable than taunting Chazz.

"You filthy scum! As soon as I see Zane again I will –"

"Oh no you won't, Mr. Misawa." Slade wagged a finger at the man sitting behind the desk. "I am currently doing you a favour, after all."

"I don't need it! I'm perfectly able to take care of them myself!"

"To take care of them? Need I remind you, Misawa, that you have no power concerning that matter? Besides, even if you do get the word out," Slade lowered his voice, "can you imagine what would happen to them afterwards?"

"I swear… I swear that one day you'll be punished for all this!" Slade frowned a little. Looks like Misawa won't back down without a fight. But truly unfortunately, time doesn't wait for any man; the morning is getting late and he needs to return to his company. He just need to remind Misawa of his presence and can deal with this one later.

"Really now? Lucky for you I now need to get going," the elder Princeton turned around. "I'll contact you again. In the main time, please pass on my greetings to your family."

Slade strode out of Bastion's office and shut the door quietly. As he rode the elevator downstairs with Jagger he smiled to himself, imagining the ashen-gray and terrified face he know Bastion would wear after every time he had a chat with the Ra Yellow graduate.

----------

Jaden stretched lazily and looked out over the city from his apartment. He's managed to get himself away for a few weeks from the busy Pro League schedule, and now he was glad for it. Who knew that Zane would suddenly reappear into everyone's lives?

He yawned as he got up, dressed, and tidied up his bed. As he walked into the living room, Tyranno was busying himself with the toaster and a few plates in the adjacent kitchen.

"Hey Jay, you certainly got up late today."

"That's cos I know it's your turn to cook. Might as well take the advantage." Jaden laughed and Tyranno growled.

"I dunno what got into me to agree to flat with you," the brawny duelist muttered under his breath and Jaden pretended he didn't catch that.

Indeed, many people found it weird that Jaden and Tyranno are flatting together in an apartment. With the amount of money they are each earning, they are more than able to afford better places to live. But, to be honest, Jaden missed the days of Slifer Red, the time he spent in the derelict dorm squabbling over petty things with Syrus, Chumley, and Chazz. He'd rather have those times back, laughing with no worries whatsoever beside the sea, if that's at all possible.

After graduation, Jaden and Tyranno somehow just ended up sticking together. Jaden did consider other options, but Chazz and Alexis were getting married, Aster is used to living a life miles away from Jaden's own, and Syrus is… well…

The brunet closed his eyes briefly to clear the unpleasant memories. He poured some milk for himself, grabbed a few piece of toast and sat down beside the table.

"But then again, Jay, you did stay up pretty late last night trying to get Zane a place to stay." Tyranno, seeing that slight darkening of Jaden's face, tried to restart the conversation.

Jaden nodded. "Yeah. Pity we couldn't just get him to come here."

He originally wanted to let the older Truesdale stay at his apartment, but Aster protested vehemently. Jaden and Tyranno were too well-known, and so was Zane. Having the duelist who disappeared ten years ago living at their place would surely create an uproar very soon. Aster and Jaden spend the better part of last night phoning up trustworthy friends, and finally lodged Zane for the night.

"Oh yeah, by the way Tyranno, did Aster contact you this morning?" Jaden asked through a mouthful of toast.

Tyranno pointed to the pile of paper sitting on the other side of the table. "Those are the stuff he faxed over."

"Thanks." Jaden hastily wiped his hands on his shirt before grabbing the files. Last night Aster had said that he was going to dig up things on Zane's story. The brunet scanned through a few pages, then looked questioningly at Tyranno, who had settled himself a bit farther away on the table.

"All these are about the Princeton group and their gaming department. Shouldn't Aster have sent these to Chazz and Bastion? They are in the business and would make more sense out of it than me."

"Aster said that he's sending them to you precisely because you aren't in the business," Tyranno shrugged. "Something about he won't put them into the hands of Kaiba Corp employees no matter what."

"Aster is certainly prudent." Jaden mumbled and flipped through all of the papers. There were lists of the important dates about the development of the DuelKing software. Aster had also jotted down a short note saying that he will try to see if they match anything Zane's told them. Jaden also made a mental note for himself to ask friends in the duelling world concerning this matter.

"Say, do you believe everything Zane's told us?" Jaden looked up. His flatmate is certainly talkative today.

"You haven't seen Chazz's brothers, have you, Tyranno? Trust me, once you meet them, you'll believe that they're capable of doing anything."

"But Jay, did you think about what would happen to Chazz and Alexis?"

"Well, it's hardly fair for – " Jaden caught himself. He was going to say 'It's hardly fair for Zane', but then…

"I don't know, Tyranno," he sighed instead. "I guess it's not fair for anyone. This is just the way everything turned out."

"Is it?" Tyranno swallowed his food, then continued. "Sometimes, I almost wish the past would stay in the past."

Jaden shook his head. To distract himself from this he looked up at the photos he's got framed in the living room, but that was the wrong thing to do. The images of his friends smiling into the camera was a sharp reminder of their precious days of joy at the Academy.

"You know, now that Zane's back," he said in a small voice, to the two of them sitting in the room and also to the images forever preserved in time, "he's gonna be so happy."

Tyranno didn't need to ask to know who he was talking about.

"Do you miss Sy, Jay?"

"Every single day."

--------

_He immediately went to the Truesdale house as soon as he heard the news. The front door wasn't even locked when he arrived, and he pretty much flew into the living room as he rushed in with a run. The parents were too distraught to even come downstairs. The only human presence in the wide, whitewashed lounge was the small, bent figure with his back to the door._

_He held his breath, conscious of the oppressive silence reigning in the house. Slowly, he approached his friend's back._

"_He's gone, Jay." The younger Truesdale had obviously been crying. His voice was raspy and hoarse. A crumpled front page of the daily newspaper was clutched tightly in his hands. "Everyone's talking about it. He's gone and no one's got any idea where he went this time."_

"_Shh, Syrus," he went around the chair to face his friend. Those steel-grey eyes, usually sparkling like two kaleidoscopes of emotions, were blank and clouded, once-clear mirrors covered with ancient dust. "We're already looking for him. All of us are trying to get any information we can about this. We won't let him just disappear."_

"_Do you think he's… dead, Jay?" _

_A shiver ran down his back. He gritted his teeth and steeled himself._

"_He's not dead, Sy. He can't be dead."_

_He put his tense hands firmly on his friend's shoulder. His fingers dug into the other's skin._

"_We'll never give up looking for him. I promise you. As long as I'm alive I'll never give up looking for him."_

_He remembered that single, solitary tear dropping down the shorter boy's cheek._

_But the truth is that I didn't do what I said I'd do, Sy. I looked and looked for him. I looked everywhere, and I was tired. So tired that I gave up looking. I just stayed where I am, felt sad for him for a while, then put him behind and moved on. I should have kept looking, I so should have. Then maybe – then maybe you wouldn't have died, pal. Maybe you wouldn't have left us with such a big hole in your heart. Maybe your world… would have been what it should have been._

_I'm sorry, Sy. _


End file.
